Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.04 EPS

Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. Acadia Healthcare had a net margin of 3.29% and a return on equity of 7.66%. The business had revenue of $821.46 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $800.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Acadia Healthcare updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.300-1.550 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Acadia Healthcare’s conference call:

• Debbie Osteen returned as CEO and is prioritizing stability, tighter operational discipline, leadership adjustments, and expanded real‑time quality dashboards to drive consistent execution across facilities.
• Q4 revenue was $821.5M (+6.1%) and full‑year 2025 revenue of $3.31B with Adjusted EBITDA of $608.9M came in near or above guidance, signaling improving top‑line and margin performance.
• Acadia has added more than 2,500 beds over three years, plans to add 400–600 beds in 2026, and estimates the incremental EBITDA opportunity from 2023–2026 openings exceeds $200M.
• Q4 included a $52.7M reserve adjustment and management expects 2026 professional and general liability (PLGL) expense of $100M–$110M with net leverage around ~4x, representing a significant legal and balance‑sheet headwind.
• 2026 guidance calls for revenue of $3.37B–$3.45B, Adjusted EBITDA of $575M–$610M and adjusted EPS of $1.30–$1.55, while assuming 0–1% same‑facility volume, 2–3% pricing, startup losses of $47M–$53M, lower CapEx ($255M–$280M) and an expected ~$25M–$30M EBITDA impact from New York Medicaid policy changes.

Acadia Healthcare Trading Up 23.6%

Shares of Acadia Healthcare stock traded up $4.06 on Wednesday, reaching $21.23. 6,292,641 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,822,731. The company has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 0.89. Acadia Healthcare has a 52 week low of $11.43 and a 52 week high of $42.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.44. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $14.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Acadia Healthcare

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ACHC. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Acadia Healthcare by 54.8% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of Acadia Healthcare by 208.9% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,510 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Acadia Healthcare by 21.9% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 9,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780 shares during the period. Glenmede Investment Management LP raised its position in shares of Acadia Healthcare by 15.6% during the third quarter. Glenmede Investment Management LP now owns 11,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,000 after purchasing an additional 1,532 shares during the period. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Acadia Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at $296,000.

More Acadia Healthcare News

Here are the key news stories impacting Acadia Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on both EPS and revenue: Acadia reported $0.07 EPS (vs. $0.03 consensus) and $821.5M revenue, +6.1% year-over-year; management cited strong volumes and capacity growth that supported the beat. Acadia Healthcare Announces Fourth Quarter and 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/media reaction amplified the move: coverage highlighted the revenue beat and capacity-driven growth as the proximate reason for the rally. Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge 23% Following Q4 Revenue Beat, Capacity Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Short-squeeze / momentum thesis gaining traction: commentators on Seeking Alpha flagged elevated short-squeeze potential and momentum reversal, which can amplify upside on a beat. The Bottom Fishing Club – Acadia Healthcare: Huge Short Squeeze Potential, Reversing Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials and call available: conference call, transcript and press release provide details on drivers (same-facility revenue +4.4%) — useful for parsing sustainability of the beat. Acadia Healthcare Earnings / Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data reported as abnormal/unreliable in filings (zeros/NaN) — treat short-interest figures with caution until cleaner data is posted.
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance was lowered relative to Street expectations: Acadia set EPS guidance of $1.30–$1.55 versus a consensus near $1.75, which could limit upside if investors focus on forward earnings power; revenue guidance of ~$3.4–3.5B was roughly in line. (Guidance issued by the company on Feb. 25.)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACHC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $17.00 price objective on Acadia Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Leerink Partners cut Acadia Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on Acadia Healthcare from $30.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Raymond James Financial set a $17.00 price objective on Acadia Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Acadia Healthcare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Acadia Healthcare has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.23.

Acadia Healthcare Company Profile

Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc (NASDAQ: ACHC) is a publicly traded provider of behavioral healthcare services headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. Founded in 2005, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish itself as a leading specialist in mental health and addiction treatment across the United States.

Acadia operates a diversified network of inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, outpatient clinics and intensive outpatient programs.